Thursday, 26 December 2013

Using first or second gear (L or 1 in an automatic) drive slowly to avoid creating a large 'bow wave' (a small wave can be helpful but too much and the water can wash back into the engine). Slipping the clutch and revving the engine will also help to keep the exhaust clear and keep the engine running if water splashes onto the electrics. In an automatic keep your foot on the gas in the lowest held gear and use the brake to control your speed (and hope for the best!).

In some cases a stalled engine can result in water being sucked back through the exhaust into the cylinders - this can cause extensive and expensive damage. Do not change gear because this can also cause water to be sucked back through the exhaust (due to the change in engine speed and manifold depression).

Tuesday, 10 December 2013

In the days of my childhood in Kingsley the bird most often served up for Christmas lunch was a chicken or to be more precise a capon. It will seem hard to imagine today but chicken in those days was eaten on high days and holidays. I suppose as a result of the war, rationing and a general lack of poultry food, the mass production of chickens was nothing like it is today. Of course, supermarkets had not been dreamed up and most meat was then bought from butchers. That meat was, to a large extent, sourced locally. Therefore, there were a number of factors which determined that chicken was not an every day, and readily available meat, as it is today.

Apart from the chickens which were kept in the village on most of the farms, quite a lot of village people kept a few hens and an odd cockerel or two. These provided some eggs and the occasional bird for the table. My Grand Parents kept poultry and so did my father. These back garden birds were, for the most part, fed upon kitchen scraps, old bread and seasonal greenery. Thanks to our brilliant politicians this is a practice which is now against the law. As with many things these great thinkers do, they issued a blanket ban on feeding kitchen waste of any kind to most forms of domestic animals. This was a quite normal over reaction by politicians to the last foot and mouth outbreak. The fact that, in general terms, it is almost totally unenforceable and most small poultry keepers ignore it completely is neither here nor there. What, of course, this wonderful stroke of brilliance has ensured is the fact that hundreds, if not thousands, of tons of useable food is consigned to land fill and massive amounts of energy which otherwise could be saved, is expended on making commercial animal feed products. But, as I am sure you are all aware, the politicians always know best !!

Anyway, lots of village people then kept their poultry which, no doubt, helped with their food budgets. The Christmas bird, was therefore, often a home reared capon. Carefully reared and fed in anticipation of the great day. Caponising was the process of chemically castrating the male bird. An implement rather like a syringe was loaded with a pellet which was about a quarter of an inch long and twice as thick as a normal pencil lead. To perform the operation correctly the needle of the syringe should be inserted into an area of loose skin, lifted from the birds neck, as high up towards its head as possible. The plunger pushed in and the pellet deposited into the birds neck between skin and neck. This had the effect of causing the bird to lose its male characteristics. Its comb did not grow and the normal loud crow of a cockerel was reduced to a coarse croak. The bird lost all interest in doing the things cockerels normally do, chasing hens around the chicken run, and ate rather more food. Thus the caponised birds grew to quite large sizes and produced much more meat than was otherwise possible. I still have my caponising syringe and the instruction leaflet that came with it. The instructions tell the user to place the pellet as high up the birds neck as possible. This was due to the fact that people used the necks of chicken, as a part of the gibblets, to make gravy or stock. The fact of the matter is the injected pellet was a huge dose of female hormone. It was this that ultimately caused the banning of the practice of caponising. It was found that the advice on the caponising leaflets was not being followed, pellets were being inserted lower down the neck and subsequently consumed with the gravy and stock. This, it was claimed, was having some strange side effects on human males and therefore had to be stopped ! I believe capons can still be purchased but the process is now achieved by more surgical means.

This then was how the festive bird, for many Kingsley people of that era was produced. Just before the great day the bird to be eaten would be dispatched, plucked and dressed and hung until ready for cooking on Christmas morning. The stuffing for the bird, in our house, was home-made and would either be sage and onion or rosemary and thyme. Christmas lunch was usually served rather later in the afternoon as various festive activities took up a large part of the morning.

The other popular bird for Christmas lunch was the goose and some of the local farms reared geese. Throughout most of the period that I lived in Kingsley there was, each year, a large Christmas livestock market which was held in Alton. At this event almost any bird or beast could be purchased. Game was plentiful as were all manner of joints of meat which were all auctioned. The Christmas market was a great social event and people travelled from all around to attend. Included in the market was the Christmas livestock show where prime farm animals were exhibited and judged before being sold to local butchers. All of this was recorded class by class in the local newspapers together with photographs of the winning animals. Great days, sadly long gone.

By and large turkey had not become popular as the Christmas bird of choice and I had not tasted its meat until one Christmas when I was ten or eleven years of age. I happened to be friendly with the two Griffiths boys, Robin and Peter, who lived with their parents in Foundry House which was, (and I suppose still is ), almost opposite the turning down Sickles Lane. Its neighbour, was then, the Foundry which produced various metal work and contained a blacksmiths forge. The two boys were, for most of each year, away at boarding school somewhere so I only got to see then during their school holidays. I don’t recall which Christmas it was but on that particular year the three of us went fishing, a couple of days after Boxing Day, in the river to the right of the bridge, just before the turning for Oxney Farm, where the beagles were kennelled. In those days there was a large and sweeping bend in the river, a hundred yards or so west of the bridge, which was quite deep at its farthest point. On the northern, (Kingsley), side there was a large area of sand which was below the bank and provided quite nice shelter from the wind. We spent the day there and caught half a dozen nice trout. Robin and Peter had been sent with a rather splendid picnic for the three of us and this contain turkey sandwiches. My goodness did I enjoy them and I still like turkey sandwiches to this day. The other remarkable and memorable event which took place that day was the fact that whilst we were sitting on the sandbank fishing we were privileged to see a small group of fresh water lamprey’s scouring the sandy floor of the river for food. These strange, and rare, little creatures were about six inches long and a greenish colour. There were about eight of them. I had never seen any before and have not done so since. I doubt if very many, if any, people in Kingsley rear their own festive birds today but I would like to think the crow of the occasional cockerel can still be heard within the village. I hope you all have a very happy and festive Christmas and I wish you all the compliments of the season. Derek.

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

There has been an increase in shed burglaries in the East Hampshire area and this letter contains some crime prevention advice regarding Shed Safety.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service also supports shed safety by reminding owners to be careful what they store in their sheds.

The police often recover stolen property but frustratingly can not identify the owner. By registering on this simple free website (www.immobilise.com) the police could reunite lots more property with their rightful owner AND convict more offenders.

Thank you in advance for working with us to help reduce crime in your area.

Many people take a great deal of trouble securing their home and property while at the same time leaving valuable garden tools and cycles in a shed that is either unlocked or not maintained.Items such as tools, power tools and bikes are expensive items to replace. This can also be an open invitation for thieves to use garden implements to break into their house or car.Advice:Place all tools and garden equipment in locked sheds and garages. Secure more expensive items, e.g. mowers, bikes to an anchor point within the shed or garage. Mark all items with postcode and record serial numbers. Register the details for free on www.immobilise.comTake photographs of items such as statues and garden furniture if they are unusual, for easy identification at a later date. Fit a shed alarm. Keep the structure in good repair. Consider covering windows with curtains to obscure the view of the contents. Consider external lighting. Ensure the garden fences are in good repair between neighbours to prevent unlawful access. Ensure side gates are locked to prevent access to the rear of the property. For allotments:Rewards for the thief are good. Property stored in allotment stores can in many cases total £100 if not £1000's.

Often sheds sited on isolated allotments are left insecure and garden tools are not secured within, especially after a busy session in the allotment.

Advice:Set up an Allotment Association if you don’t belong to one When considering new fencing, if possible avoid chain link which is inherently weak. Weld mesh is preferable. Consider the positions of stores and sheds. Can a thief breaking in be seen from neighbouring properties or by passing cars and pedestrians? Shed alarms or a wireless alarm can be a useful deterrent, however only if it is audible by neighbouring properties or passing pedestrians. Shed or stores made from metal are recommended as they may be more robust than wood. Reclaimed cargo containers are also a consideration. Display signage warning criminals that property on the site is marked and traceable. Undertake a "Property Marking Weekend" for your members. Mark all your property with a UV marker pen, indelible ink, and engraving. Ensure your Property serial numbers are registered for free on www.immobilise.comIf you see anyone acting suspiciously or have any information relating to people suspected of committing crimes, please call 999 in an emergency or 101 in a non emergency.

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this crime prevention advice.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service is supporting shed safety by reminding people to be careful what they store in their sheds and other outbuildings.

Many people keep substances such as paint, petrol and gas cylinders, including LPG and acetylene, in their sheds and outbuildings without realising the potential dangers. In the event of a fire, these substances can explode, posing a serious risk to life and property. Acetylene cylinders (commonly used in welding) are the most hazardous of all and the risk of acetylene exploding remains for up to 24 hours after the fire has been extinguished.

Reduce the risk of a fire in your shed or outbuilding by following these simple tips:

• Make sure hazardous substances are stored securely in approved containers.• Only store what you need to use – dispose of any unwanted chemicals correctly and return empty cylinders to the manufacturer (details are on the shoulders of the cylinder).• Reduce the risk of deliberate fire and theft by keeping your shed or outbuilding in a good state of repair and secure. Consider directing a security light onto it as a deterrent.• Take care with electrical items such as TVs and radios – look out for signs of dangerous or loose wiring and never overload sockets. Unplug appliances when not in use.• Never put a barbecue into a shed while it is still hot as it can easily cause a fire.

Here we are with Christmas snapping at our heels all over again. It doesn’t seem possible; we’ve only just put away the tree from last year and finished the Easter Eggs!

As our shopping centres start filling up to bursting point with shoppers, Police are out in force to dissuade those inclined to help themselves, from committing crimes. People caught helping themselves in stores WILL be arrested and prosecuted.

There is an assumption from some thieves that stealing from shops is a victimless crime. Clearly that is not the case, and we all finish up paying increased prices to cover the cost of those who help themselves. In the current economic climate, smaller traders particularly can ill afford to have their stock stolen.

Often, shoplifting gangs will travel from outside the area to target a town, fill their bags, and then move on. Police will be at bus and rail stations targeting those that thought it might be a good idea to travel to Hampshire to steal someone else’s Christmas.

Whilst being jostled in the throng, it is easy for a pickpocket to have your purse or wallet out of your bag, or pocket. Avoid using a back pocket for your wallet, and keep your handbag zipped up at all times. If you have a zipped pocket in your jacket, that will also slow down any would-be thief.

Keep an eye on your shopping bags too. There are many distractions at this time of year, and if you have your young children with you, they too will be excited (even more excited than you!) and take more of your attention. It only takes a moment for someone to pick up one of your shopping bags and walk away with it. You may not even notice until you get home, and then wonder if you’re going mad as you were sure you’d bought…..

When loading your car in supermarket car parks, keep an eye on your trolley. Again, it only takes a moment for someone to walk by and take something from the top of your trolley whilst you are putting your handbag in the front of the car, or strapping your children into their seats. A bottle of spirits or even a joint of meat can easily disappear without you even noticing, and can be quite expensive to replace.

It wouldn’t be Christmas without mentioning drinking and driving. Of course, you can’t drive whilst unfit through drink or drugs at any time of the year and few of us would be foolish enough to do so. However, please remember that it can take some while for alcohol to leave your system so if you are driving the following day after a good party, you may still be over the limit.

If you suspect a drink driver or have information about ANY crime, please do not hesitate to give Crimestoppers a call on 0800 555 111 or log on to www.crimestoppers-uk.org where you can also give information and remain anonymous. For those tweeters amongst you, please follow me @HantsCrimestopp for regular Crimestoppers updates.

54941 Land South of Main Road, Kingsley, BordonChange of use of land for stationing of a mobile home for residential purposes for a single gypsy pitch with creation of new access off main road, track and associated hard standing, treatment plant and amenity block (FUL)

9. Transport, Highways and Road Safety
To receive an update from Cllr Lazenby

To consider the continued funding of the SLR deployments

10. Commons, Village Greens and Rights of Way
Upper green: To receive an update from Cllr LazenbyLower Green: To receive an update from Cllr McCorkindaleRights of Way: To receive an update from Cllr Lazenby

Nutting as we referred to it, was of course, our annual nut collecting activities. These fell into two different areas, on the one hand Hazel nuts and on the other Chestnuts. Each had its own location and different method of collection. Hazel nuts were collect, for the most part, from the north and north west of the village. The edge of Alice Holt Forest, the woods known as Stephenfield Copse and its surrounding hedge rows, the hangars at the northern edge of Kingsley Nurseries and the hedges to the right and left of the old lane at its top end towards the junction of the road which goes back through the nurseries towards the Straits. All of these areas had large numbers of Hazels in the woods and hedges and many of the trees were large and, no doubt, quite old. As with most crops, the nut harvest varied from season to season but some years there were huge amounts of nuts to be collected.

The trick was to judge when the nuts were ripe but not too ripe. If they were over ripe they dropped out of their husks and fell into the grass, ditch or brambles, which ever happened to be around. On the other hand there were some areas with little or no vegetation beneath the trees where it was possible to shake the branches vigorously and pick the nuts from the ground. But for the most part it was better to pick the nuts from the trees before they began to drop. This could be achieved by grabbing a branch and holding it down as low as possible whilst the nuts, still within their husks, could be picked. Since our nut picking activities were usually conducted in small groups we had enough people to share the branch bending and picking without a problem. In some cases,where branches were high and well loaded with nuts, it was worth climbing up a tree and along the branch in order to swing it down to enable the nuts to be reached. This was done in a similar manner to our Birch tree swinging activities but care had to be exercised as the Hazel was not nearly as pliant as the Birch.

There were two other problems associated with this activity which were gypsies and squirrels. On the one hand the gypsies would strip a whole area of its nuts and the squirrels would empty large numbers of husks of their nuts thus making it pointless going to the trouble of swinging down branches. I imagine the gypsies sold the nuts in local markets as they did snowdrops and wild daffodils when they were in season. But, none the less,it was a complete pain to arrive at a favourite nutting place only to find the gypsies had beaten you to it and all of the nuts had gone. As far as the squirrels were concerned they were less of a problem but even they could make a considerable dent into a nut crop. It is worth noting, that during my early childhood, there were still Red Squirrels in the area. But with the introduction of the Greys they soon disappeared.

By contrast, chestnutting took place to the south of the village in Oxney woods and to the right and left of the Bordon road where the road, which crosses from Fir Hill, and the A325 meet at the top of Broxhead Common. There were large numbers of Chestnut trees in that area but the size of the nuts they produced varied greatly. There were only three or four that produced really big nuts and,of course, they were the ones which received the most attention from us. Unlike the Hazels, the Chestnuts could not be swung down to enable picking. They were both far too big and far too brittle. A Chestnut branch will snap quite easily and without much weight. It was, therefore, necessary to apply a different method of collection. This took the form of a large broken branch which was thrown into the branches where the nuts were. The branch in question had to be as big as could be thrown into the best of the nuts and long enough to cover a reasonable sized area as it hit the branches containing the nuts . If the aim was right large numbers of nuts could be dislodged in this way. The only minor problem was the fact that one stood beneath the branches which were targeted and what goes up has to come down. Too many enthusiastic branch throwers, more intent on hitting as many nuts as possible, and not very concerned as to where their branches would fall to earth, could make things a little bit hazardous. I don’t remember any serious injuries as a result of this activity, the odd bruise being the usual outcome.

Having got the nuts to earth they then had to be extracted from their prickly cases. This we did either by using a stick to force the casing apart of by pressing the complete case into the ground with one foot and scraping the sole of the other foot across the trapped case which would, if done correctly, result in the case coming in half and revealing the nuts inside. Although the squirrels had their share of the Chestnut crop the gypsies didn’t seem to bother with them. I can only imagine the effort in obtaining a worthwhile haul was just not worth the trouble. The generally accepted wisdom, passed down to us, was that the chestnuts were better when they had been through, at least one frost. This, it was said, made them taste much better. You pays your money and takes your choice !

The other bonus in collecting the chestnuts from the area mentioned was the presence of the mushroom Bay Boletus. Also known as Boletus Badius or Sticky Bun, this mushroom is a chestnut to deep brown in colour and has a sticky top. When cut the flesh turns a dark blue colour and whilst this may not look very appetizing, it is a delicious mushroom to eat. In my opinion, it has a musky flavor not dissimilar to the Truffle. In the days of which I write it was possible to fine quite large numbers of these fine fungi all around the Broxhead area.

There is almost always one or more email scams going on and this one, highlighted by Mary Herbert, is fairly typical:

I received an email this morning purporting to be from DHL Delivery Services saying that they had attempted to deliver a package to 'the shipping address'. I didn't open the attachment but contacted DHL directly. They have a warning about such emails on their website and their Customer Services Dept. confirmed that the email I had received was indeed a scam.

Any communication from DHL would not have been by email but by text and would have had a 10-digit shipping number: also a card advising me of non-delivery would have been put through our door. Their company is already working to try to prevent these scams.'

I confess to having been unsure as I am in fact expecting a package but the wording of the email was a little strange.

Email is not the secure, private, communication channel that many believe it to be and we should all always treat incoming emails with a degree of scepticism. Do NOT assume that because an email comes from a known correspondent it must be safe. If there is anything "strange" about it at all you should assume that it is unsafe until you have good reason to trust it.

Saturday, 2 November 2013

The clocks went back recently, and the extra hour in bed was very welcome! What a pity that then leads to dark evenings, dark mornings and Christmas! As the darkness can make life so much easier for would-be thieves, motorists are being reminded to avoid leaving any valuable items in their vehicles.

Even though they are cheaper than ever, SatNavs are still a villain’s favourite – and especially with Christmas just around the corner. The tell tale circle on the windscreen left by the plastic sucker may be enough to have the car broken open. Even a plastic bag on the back seat can be tempting. It may only contain your children’s school things and leftover packed lunch, but the villain does not know that until he breaks in.

Cars are now far more hi-tech than ever. However, glass will still break just as easily as 30 years ago, so it only takes seconds to get in and out of a vehicle. Loose change, sunglasses, a forgotten mobile phone, or a nice jacket on the back seat are all an open invitation to the would-be thief. Laptop and notebook/tablet computers are all getting smaller and lighter, and very easy to forget and leave in a car by accident.

You may have got a nice new phone as a free upgrade from your provider, however a replacement handset can actually cost several hundred pounds if you don’t have it insured and your contract isn’t due for renewal.

Please look after your valuables and take them out of your vehicle whenever possible. Thieves know that handbags are often concealed under the front passenger seat, so don’t be surprised that ‘your’ hiding place has been compromised! It is also possible for a thief, given enough time and inclination, to get into the boot of a car. Although using the boot will slow a would-be intruder down, leaving valuables overnight in a vehicle is not ideal.

If you have a works van, which simply isn’t practical to empty every night, please consider additional heavy-duty locks, a good alarm system, and security mark your tools so they can be traced if the worst should happen.

Remember, replacing your glass can be an expensive job as insurance excesses have increased over recent years. Your contribution to the cost of a broken window (if this is covered on your insurance policy) could be as much as £100 – a lot of money before you’ve even started replacing your stolen items.

If you’ve information about any crime, please call Crimestoppers on 0800 555111, or log on to www.crimestoppers-uk.org and remain anonymous. You can also follow me on twitter @HantsCrimestopp for regular updates.

Thursday, 31 October 2013

Yes, you read that right, the King's World is the parish magazine distributed to subscribing households in Kingsley, Oakhanger and the Worldhams throughout the year containing all the news that's fit to print, all the juicy gossip, a comprehensive who's who and even advice on what to grow in your garden.

If you're not already subscribing, now is the time to start. The Christmas/New Year double edition will be going to press shortly, the annual sub is a mere £10, delivered to your door - how good is that!

Now that the busies in Westminster have granted themselves a Royal Charter to interfere with impose minimal standards of common decency on the free press including this blog, be it known that the King's Blog will NOT SUBSCRIBE to the relevant regulating body.

This means that anyone suing the blog for, say, libel, will be entitled to have their costs paid by the blog, WIN OR LOSE.

Wednesday, 30 October 2013

The first was that the burner of my camping gas stove had become clogged with dust having sat undisturbed on the bottom shelf since the last all-day, all-night power cut several years ago. Keep your burners dust-free!

The second I only noticed when I got in my car to go somewhere with power, turned on the radio and heard that the Prime Minister had advised "checking online" before venturing out. This made me realise that we need a local online resource in such times, not something I'd previously considered. So bookmark this blog because during future power cuts I intend to keep the blog updated with details of the local situation. Before venturing out during a power cut please check the blog for details of road closures, flooding and traffic problems.

Thursday, 24 October 2013

I recently achieved the ripe old age of 60 and to mark the event I went for a motorcycle ride. Not my longest ride todate but over 1,200 miles between 7:30am and 10:30am the next day, on one of those "dangerous motorbikes", mostly in the rain. I reckon that, at the age of 60, I no longer need be frightened of the health and safety do-gooders and in any event it's not like I just did a spur of the moment act of lunacy.

In order to complete the ride and return home in one piece a number of conditions were met:

Train to Motorcycle Advanced Observer standard

Understand that accidents don't just happen and there aren't "too many idiots" out there

Take full responsibility for my own safety and not rely on other road users to not kill me

Understand requirements and management of food and fluid intake

Understand requirements and management of sleep, fatigue and concentration

Farkle motorbike to be fit for and comfortable for at least 24 hour continuous operation

Regularly practise night riding, motorway riding, traffic filtering

Start with my "sleep account" in credit

Avoid all stimulants including caffeine

Wear proper gear

Be mentally prepared

Complete two previous certified Iron Butt rides as well as numerous others

What would be the point of being 60 if I was too scared to ride a motorcycle?

Tuesday, 22 October 2013

Kingsley Parish Council will meet on Thursday, 24th October 2013 in the Kingsley Centre at 7.30pm.

AGENDA

1. Chairman’s Opening Remarks2. Apologies for Absence3. Declarations of Personal/Prejudicial Interest4. Public Question Time: Public QuestionsConsideration of agenda items which will be open to public participation

54941 Land South of Main Road, Kingsley, BordonChange of use of land for stationing of a mobile home for residential purposes for a single gypsy pitch with creation of new access off main road, track and associated hard standing, treatment plant and amenity block (FUL)

55095/001 4 Bakers Barn, Oakhanger Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NJListed building consent for external alterations to clad an outbuilding to form shed, moving of a fence and internal alterations to outbuilding to form four car ports.

37484/003 Westerkirk, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NDResubmission of previous application, scheme to incorporate non material amendments. First floor extension to rear, single storey extension to side, conversion of garage and workshop to living accommodation, detached garage to front.

52258/002 The Old Piggery, Main Road, Kingsley, BordonTwo detached dwellings with covered parking, new access, landscaping and associated works

Friday, 18 October 2013

Mrs. Coats was for many years the cook at the village school, a short rotund, jolly looking lady she was, I suppose, just how a cook should look. She must have been getting on in years because I remember her throughout the time I knew her with grey hair going on white. Apart from her cooking, Mrs. Coats was a neighbour of ours as she lived in the house directly opposite ours, number 18. Her husband, Mick Coats, worked somewhere on Bordon camp but I don't recall what he actually did.

Most children appear to look back upon school meals with a degree of horror and disgust and school food has often been the stuff of comic books and has generally not been held in high esteem. However, certainly as far as I am concerned, I don't believe this could be said of the food we were served up in Kingsley school. The meals were well prepared, wholesome and tasty. Throughout my early school days, in the fifties, rationing was still in place and this must have had an impact upon the food available to the school cooks. Notwithstanding this I seem to recall a good variety of dishes. There was not a choice, you got the meal of the day and that was that, one main and a sweet. There were various dishes which would be produced on a regular basis, stews, pies and bakes etc. Custard with a variety of additions, sago pudding and tapioca were all known to us. Milk puddings, sponge puddings and steamed puddings all featured upon the dessert list.

My personal favourite was a pudding, called by Mrs. Coats, chocolate crunch. This was a biscuity kind of sweet which was produced in large flat baking trays and cut into square portions for serving. It was firm and had a bit of a bite to it without being hard. I know it had cocoa in it which was where it got the chocolate flavour from. It was usually served with custard but sometimes with a sweet white sauce the name of which I don't recall. I suppose to some extent it resembled short bread but without the buttery taste and it was firmer than shortbread is. I just loved it, so much so that I asked Mrs. Coats for the recipe which she kindly gave me. Mother made this delight for us over the years but sadly the recipe was lost and all of my attempts to recreate the product have not succeeded. I have gone to great lengths to find that recipe, having been an avid collector of cookery books for many years and searched the internet for old school recipes in the hope of finding it, nothing has been successful. One would think it an easy task to recreate such a product but nothing quite comes up to my recollection of the original. It could, of course, simply be a trick of the memory and I could be chasing the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but I don't think so. If by some strange quirk of fate a Kingsley resident reads the above and has that recipe I would be delighted to receive a copy of it. I have no idea if the illusive recipe was one of Mrs. Coats own or one which had been passed on to her.

As I got older I developed quite an interest in gardening, or more specifically, growing vegetables and to this end my father gave me a piece of his allotment. This was a plot of land which was situated between the gardens of numbers seven and eight Woodfield and the sewage plant. There were, I think, two plots, father had one of them and Bill Woods who lived in number twelve had the other. By agreement with Mr. Clark, who lived next door to us in number seven, a gap was made in our fence and the boundary fence across the bottom of his garden which allowed me to go between our garden and the allotment. Thus I began growing my vegetables and although I was not madly keen on eating them I loved the thrill of planting seeds and waiting for the plants to germinate. I planted so many seed that the space needed to accommodate them increased to the point where I covered the plot. My surplus vegetables were passed on to some of the neighbours and as a result of this Mrs. Coats received a few of my lettuces. Clearly they made an impression upon her as one evening she came across to the house and asked how many plants I was growing. Quite a lot was the answer as I didn't like throwing anything away and I crammed plants in all over the place.

It would appear that amongst Mrs. Coats duties, as school cook, was the purchase of the produce needed to provide the meals. She offered to buy her lettuce, and any other crops I could provide, from me and thus began a very nice little business for me. The lettuce was ordered the day before it was required and delivered on the following morning before I went to school. This was, of course, after I had moved from Kingsley School to Alton. It was an arrangement that worked well and was to our mutual benefit, I got a boost to my pocket money and Mrs. Coats and the school got very fresh produce. Sourcing locally was, you see, up and running and indeed the norm in those days. One could be forgiven for thinking the modern trend of sourcing fresh local produce, much publicised by farm shops etc. was a new initiative but no, we in Kingsley were doing it years ago, well before big business killed it off! As they say what goes around comes around … it surely does.

I remember Mrs. Coats retiring and sometime later passing away, her husband also passed away but I don't recall who went first but I seem to recollect that neither outlived the other by very long.

Friday, 4 October 2013

Crimestoppers urges the public to nail metal thievesTheft of metal is a huge risk to the UK and whilst prices remain high and global demand for metal continues to rise, this crime is big business and an international problem that will not disappear on its own. Costs to the UK economy are estimated at £770m each year.

Metal theft is the hot topic today. We read about incidents in the papers and many of us may well have felt the impact of metal theft on our day to day lives; train cancellations from cable and track theft, loss of phone and internet connection, school closures. However, awareness of metal theft is only part of the battle. In order to stop criminals continuing to disrupt our lives we all need to be proactive, vigilant and to report our suspicions quickly.

Police Forces in the South East recently introduced a scheme named Operation Tornado., working together to target metal theft.

There is also new legislation which came into effect on 1st October 2013 to make it harder for thieves and unscrupulous scrap dealers to do their business unlawfully. A licence will be required by operators wishing to sell scrap metal, no cash payments are permitted and any scrap should be fully traceable. It will also make it easier to trace any person who sells metal to Scrap Metal Merchants and will help to remove and prosecute dealers of stolen metal.

As a Force we are committed to reducing metal theft in Hampshire and Isle of Wight. Operation Tornado aims to target unscrupulous dealers rather than inhibit legitimate businesses. However we still need intelligence from the public to tackle this crime from all angles. For example, if you have a skip on your drive which is suddenly attracting people who start rummaging and taking any metal items, please tell us. People on the roof of the local school who clearly aren’t there to repair it? Tell us.

To pass on information about metal theft or any crime anonymously, Crimestoppers can be contacted online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org, or by calling the 24/7 anonymous 0800 555 111 number. Whichever form of communication you chose, no one will know you gave information – unless you tell them yourself!

Wednesday, 25 September 2013

Kingsley Parish Council will meet on Thursday, 26th September 2013 in the Kingsley Centre at 7.30pm.

AGENDA

1. Chairman’s Opening Remarks2. Apologies for Absence3. Declarations of Personal/Prejudicial Interest4. Public Question Time: Public QuestionsConsideration of agenda items which will be open to public participation

54616/002 Land West of, Farnham Road, Bordon Change of use of land from agricultural to equestrian (to include riding lessons, keeping and breeding of horses) retention of sand school, mess room and hay barn

20136/044 Land south and east of Service Station, Farnham Road, Bordon, GU35 0QP Change of use of vacant land to hand car was facility

54941 Land South of Main Road, Kingsley, BordonChange of use of land for stationing of a mobile home for residential purposes for a single gypsy pitch with creation of new access off main road, track and associated hard standing, treatment plant and amenity block (FUL)

27396/043 Old Park Farm, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9LUTo be a hay storage barn. To sustain the current hay business and replace a rented barn which is now not available. Portal framed barn

53984/002 Unit 8 Kingsley Business Park, Main Road, Kingsley, GU35 9LYRemoval of condition one of 53984 to allow permanent change of use to car repairs (B2 USE)

55095/001 4 Bakers Barn, Oakhanger Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NJListed building consent for external alterations to clad an outbuilding to form shed, moving of a fence and internal alterations to outbuilding to form four car ports.

37484/003 Westerkirk, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NDResubmission of previous application, scheme to incorporate non material amendments. First floor extension to rear, single storey extension to side, conversion of garage and workshop to living accommodation, detached garage to front.

52258/002 The Old Piggery, Main Road, Kingsley, BordonTwo detached dwellings with covered parking, new access. landscaping and associated works

8. St Nicholas Cemetery & Cemetery Chapel To receive a report on the visit of the Church Architect to inspect the damp in the east wall and other matters

9. Transport, Highways and Road Safety To receive an update from Cllr Lazenby

10. Commons, Village Greens and Rights of WaySPECIAL ITEM: Upper green: play equipmentRights of Way: To receive an update from Cllr Lazenby

11. Community Resilience12. Environment and Biodiversity 13. Sports, Recreation and Leisure14. Kingsley Village Forum 15. Parish Plan To consider the payment of the hire of the Kingsley Centre hall for the Parish Plan meeting on 25th October 2013 and provision of £75 towards the refreshments for the meeting

18. District Councillor19. Procedures, Finance and PaymentsTo confirm that the Clerks contract should be continued for the next year at the same salary as present year, but the expenses should be increased by £1 per week

Payments to be made & Accounts to accept

Date of Next Meeting of Kingsley Parish Council - Thursday 24th October 2013 - 7.30 pm at the Kingsley Centre

Sunday, 15 September 2013

Hop picking was a seasonal event which took place at the end of the summer or early autumn depending on the season. In those days Kingsley and the surrounding area had extensive hop gardens, as they were known. Along the road to Alton beyond Worldham and on the right hand side towards Wick and to the left towards Selborne were vast areas covered with hops. In fact the hop gardens went very close to the boundaries of Alton town on a number of its sides. Holybourne, Froyle, Crondall and Bentley all had large areas covered by hops. As far as Kingsley was concerned the hop gardens were on Mr.Marshal's Malthouse Farm at the east end of the village and stretching out towards the Farnham road and the forest at Buckshorn Oak. I have a recollection that Mr. Robins Rookery Farm on the way to Oakhanger also had a few hops fields as well.

Many of the village women, my mother included, went hop picking. These were, of course, days when generally women did not work in full time jobs as they do today. But many took advantage of the seasonal work provided by the many and various crops which the village farms produced in those days. Apple picking, strawberry picking, potato harvesting and hop picking being a few examples. With regard to hop picking I remember the women would all joke that they were doing it in order to buy a fur coat. Fur coats were, in those days, a much admired fashion item. Mostly, of course, they were only affordable by the very rich. I have no idea why or where this particular humour arose but there is no doubt the money earned by hop picking, even if saved over several years , would not have been enough for a fur coat.

As a child I and many other children were taken with their mothers into the hop gardens each day for the duration of the harvest . I certainly enjoyed those days and I think most of the other children did also. Once in the hop gardens we had pretty much free range and would wander off throughout the hop crops, both in areas that were being picked, and into others that were not. The hop gardens were set out in straight lines, therefore, it was possible when walking along the end of any given field to see down its whole length . Apart from exploring every corner of the farm we spent much time and effort searching for the elusive Hop Dog. This much cherished creature was in fact the caterpillar of the Pale Tussock Moth. These varied in colour from pale cream to almost white and others would be a pale lime green. They all have a protruding and erect bunch of dark hair at the rear end which gave the impression of being a tail. About an inch and a quarter long and a little thicker than a pencil these treasures were found as individuals, they did not appear in groups. When one was located, (there were not lots of them ), the cry "Hop Dog" would be shouted out by the finder for all to hear. This included the adult pickers. All of the children would then rush to the caller in order to take possession of the prize. Having handled the creature it was set free and the search resumed for another.

The vines containing the hops were cut by one of the farm workers and the pickers would then strip them of the hops. The vines were cut in lots of about a dozen for each picker in order that they could continue to pick without holdups. The hops were then stripped from the vines into bushel baskets from which they were poured into larger wicker baskets which held, I think, ten bushels. The number of bushels were recorded against each picker and the picker paid by the bushel. When the larger baskets were filled to the level of the top they were recorded in the foreman’s book for payment. It was common practice for the pickers to put their hands deep into the hops and sort of pump them up.

I imagine this introduced an element of air into the picked hops, as they are quite light in weight. In any event it was designed to give the appearance of a fuller basket. When the large baskets were moved the level of the hops within dropped back to its real level. Whilst, I am fairly sure, the staff knew what was going on I don’t ever recall a problem being created by this activity.

The whole hop picking activity was somewhat of a social event as, for the most part, the pickers all knew one another and throughout the day there was never ceasing chatter. A hotbed of local gossip and debate! Lunch, then usually referred to as dinner, was eaten in the hop gardens by the pickers in large groups. This was usually made up of sandwiches and tea poured from a thermos flask. All quite basic food and a far cry from the sort of packed lunches or picnics one might expect to see today.

Although a large number of village people swelled the ranks of the hop pickers, the numbers were also made up of gipsies whom travelled the countryside taking advantage of the seasonal work offered by the farms. In this respect Kingsley was no different than all of the other surrounding villages. As far as Malthouse Farm was concerned, I seem to recall that only known gipsies were employed. This meant that the group became known to the farmer and their fellow pickers and also ensured there was less likelihood of the many problems, often associated with gypsy groups. It was quite common during that era to read in the local press of mass brawls and fights in local pubs. Indeed, it was then, quite common to see notices placed outside of pubs stating "no travellers or gypsies". Can you imagine the outcry if such a notice were to appear today! It was also not uncommon for all sorts of things from villages to "go missing" when gypsies were passing through. This covered a whole range of items, tools, crops, small machinery, farm animals and pets, especially chickens and dogs. As far as the poultry were concerned it was often only the cock birds that were of interest as this was an era when cock fighting was still fairly common amongst certain gypsy groups. Reports of such events and subsequent prosecutions, would periodically, appear in the various local newspapers of the day.

The whole hop picking harvest lasted, I suppose, for a little over two weeks and the fields, stripped of their crops, fell silent again for another year. I well remember the feeling of disappointment when the picking was over and life returned to the normal daily routines. Great days and great memories but, as with everything, nothing stays the same and bit by bit the pickers were replaced with machines. This took a few seasons to complete as the early machines were pretty crude, missed a lot of hops and frequently broke down. But as sure as God made little green apples, the technology improved and the human pickers became obsolete. As my time in Kingsley progressed there was a steep decline in the area covered by hops and this was also the case in the surrounding areas. I have no idea what the acreage covered by hop gardens was, in that part of north Hampshire, but there is no doubt that the remaining areas today are but a drop in the ocean compared to how it used to be.

Saturday, 7 September 2013

RESUBMISSION OF PREVIOUS APPLICATION, SCHEME TO INCORPORATE NON MATERIAL
AMENDMENTS. FIRST FLOOR EXTENSION TO REAR, SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION TO
SIDE CONVERSION OF GARAGE AND WORKSHOP TO LIVING ACCOMMODATION. DETACHED
GARAGE TO FRONT.

Friday, 16 August 2013

Bernard John Nicolson, as mentioned in a previous article about Old Park Farm, Mr. Nicolson was the owner for pretty much all of my childhood and well into my teenage years. Having given a description of him in the previous article I will not go over that again. Readers will recall that BJN was a business man first and a farmer second, spending quite a lot of time in London, town as he referred to it. During the early period of my life many local men worked on the farm for BJN and as far as I can remember he was regarded as a reasonable employer. Both my father and uncle worked for him for many years as did I, in later years, and until his death.

Although a small man in stature he had a commanding presence, full of confidence and, I suppose, he was fully aware of his standing in the community. The class system was then up and running and, as with most rural villages, there was an obvious and fairly clear divide between the workers and those they worked for. In general terms, as far as Kingsley was concerned, people seemed to rub along fairly well and I don't have any recollections of any major problems between the various classes. In fact, I don't recall any of the more extreme stories which were heard about employers from around and about, being alleged of the many Kingsley employers of that time.

As far as the children of his employees were concerned, BJN, came into his own at Christmas time as he entertained his staff at a regular Christmas party in the farm house each year. All would assemble at about eleven thirty in the morning when drink would be served by BJN and Mrs. Nicolson. This would be followed by a full sit down lunch which the couple served. Wine, beer and soft drinks for the children were provided plentifully. As lunch drew to a close BJN would disappear. I now know, but we didn't then, that he went down the drive and into one of the barns near the road. Therein he would change into a Father Christmas outfit. Mrs. Nicolson would organise all of the children into the window areas having told them the great man was on his way. The drive being gravelled the footsteps of BJN could be heard as he progressed towards the house with a large sack upon his back. Entering through the front door he would go into the lounge where he would dispense presents to children and adults alike. Wives of his workforce all received gifts as well. Having completed the task of handing out the gifts, off he would go again, only to reappear shortly afterwards in his normal wear. Incidentally, I recall that the gifts were almost all purchased in Harrods. However, I and,I am sure all others whom attended will recall those parties with great warmth. It was obvious that BJN got considerable pleasure and satisfaction from his annual Father Christmas appearances.

BJN had a miniature poodle which would accompany him around the village where ever he went, it was black but I don't remember its name. One day BJN came to our house at number six Woodfield, what his mission was I don't recall, but his visit was as unexpected as it proved to be unwelcome. Indicative of the sort of confidence, some might say arrogance, of his position, BJN came to the back door of the house and not bothering with the courtesy of knocking, opened the door. The door opened directly into the kitchen area and on that occasion mother was in the process of doing her washing. The electric copper was standing in the middle of the floor and was full and, as far as can be assumed, bubbling away merrily. So far, so good, things then took a turn for the worse. Having opened the door BJN stepped into the room no doubt intent on relaying whatever business had brought him. Unfortunately, the cat was the other side of the copper sitting on the floor, the poodle lunged forward in pursuit of the moggy and in so doing the lead which attached it to BJN wrapped itself around one of the coppers three legs. As the dog pushed and pulled to get at the mog the copper did a sideways flip and ejected its contents all over the kitchen floor. Chaos, there was BJN begging all sorts of pardons and apologising profusely and mother going ballistic. Water everywhere. Offers of help to clear up were met with a clear and obvious instruction to leave, Mrs. Yeomans was in no mood to be placated. BJN left. The next day BJN returned to the house and this time he knocked and was without the dog. When mother opened the door he presented her with a bottle of white wine and again expressed how sorry he was at the unfortunate event. In those days my parents drank very little and when they did it was usually a sherry and then only on high days and holidays. Thus when the bottle of wine was opened it was obviously dry, as I recall, both parents comparing it to vinegar. Well it is the thought that counts, as they say, and I know mother was quite impressed with BJN's gesture.

The next two BJN events take us forward to the era when I worked for him at Old Park Farm. At that time I looked after the piggeries and battery houses and free range chickens. There were then several poultry houses on the sloping field behind the farm house. These were of the ark type and were opened to allow the chickens to run free range in the field during the day. It became clear that we were having a problem with the local fox population as birds kept disappearing and large quantities of feathers were in evidence. I, therefore, obtained a number of fox snares and set them in the ditch at the bottom of the field where various runs could be seen. It was during the late summer and the birds stayed out well into the evenings. This meant that I would call in on my home from whatever evening activity I had been engaged in and close up the arks for the night. It was usually dark by the time I arrived and this particular occasion was no exception. Having closed up the arks I shone my torch along the length of the ditch where the snares had been set and was met with a pair of blinking eyes in the beam of the torch. I had caught a fox. Clearly I could not leave the poor creature in the snare all night but, of course, I had no gun with me. Rather than go all the way home and back I decided to give BJN a knock and borrow his gun. I knocked on the back door of the house several times before a shout from within told me that BJN was on his way. The door opened and there he stood clad in a blue and white striped night shirt together with a long hooded matching hat. A most amazing sight. Other than in pictures from Dickens I had never seen such a mode of dress. I found it most difficult not to giggle. I made my request for a gun and off he went to get one, returning a few moments later with gun and cartridges, he informed me that he would come and help. Frankly this was the last thing I had either expected and or needed. My protestations were brushed aside and BJN, still clad in his nightshirt, and I made our way down the length of the field. When we arrived at the location of the fox BJN gave me his gun and took charge of the torch. He was obviously delighted that I had caught the culprit that had been taking his birds, but his excitement seemed to have overtaken his ability to hold the beam of the torch on the fox. Several times I took aim only to have the light flash off in some other direction. Having, politely, reminded him several times that I actually need the light in order to shoot the fox he calmed down and the fox was shot.

The next incident I recall with considerable affection, at the time there was a student on the farm, living in a flat at the farm house on the side of the area used by the Nicolsons. Timothy Ducker was an agricultural engineering student and he and I became good friends, a friendship which was to last until the present day. Anyway, on this occasion I found myself car-less. This was not an unusual state of affairs as the cars we had in those days could best be described as old bangers. I don't recall what had caused my vehicle to fail on that occasion but whatever it was it was the reason I went to Tim to borrow his car in order to take my girlfriend into Alton for the evening. No problem said Tim, he didn't need it that evening, but I would need to top it up with oil. The reader should know, I am not and never have been mechanically inclined, or had any interest in machines. In those days my technical knowledge was virtually nil. So I collected the car from the farm and was again reminded by Tim of the need to top up with oil. Off I went to Binsted to collect the young lady in question and on we travelled towards Alton. Upon reaching Holybourne I pulled into a filling station opened up the bonnet and unscrewed the oil filler cap. Tim had previously pointed out the cap to me and indicated that was where the oil should be put in. Having taken the cap off I looked into the hole and could see nothing. Off I went into the garage and bought a can of oil, a quart I think it was in those days. I had considered a pint probably would not have been enough. Steadfastly I poured in the oil ….all of it. Again I peered into the hole and again could see nothing. Back into the garage and another can, in that went, followed shortly afterwards by a third until finally I could see oil. The oil was now up to the top off the rocker box, of which I knew nothing in those days. I screwed back on the cap and away we went. Or rather didn't. Almost immediately the car began playing up, the engine became lumpy and erratic. We decided that we had a problem and headed back towards Binsted. Spluttering all the way we reached the village,drove round past the church and down the towards Southhay. We were half way down the steep little hill which is just outside Binsted when the car conked out completely. I, of course, had no idea what the problem was and mobile phones had not been invented. Leaving the young lady in the car I walked back to Binsted to the telephone kiosk. I phoned Tim, told him the car had conked and he began questioning me as to the symptoms. Had I put any oil in he asked, as, if I had not, it was highly likely the car had seized up. Yes I assured him I have filled it up, filled it up he asked, what do you mean filled it up. I explained that I had completely filled it up and the horror of what I had done began to dawn on Tim. How much had I actually put in he asked, Three or four quarts I replied "Oh my God" and a long silence. It will have to be drained he said I, of course, had no idea as to how this would be achieved. He would have to come up to us he told me and would try and get a lift from somebody. He would get there as soon as he could. I walked back to the car and rejoined a fairly fed up girlfriend. Shortly afterwards the big bronze Rolls Royce of BJN came roaring towards us driven by BJN himself. Tim got out and muttered some rather unpleasant words in my direction, lifted the bonnet, opened the oil cap and confirmed his worst fears …. the lunatic had indeed filled it up. To cut a long story short there was oil everywhere. Tim crawled beneath the car and unscrewed the plug at the bottom of the sump and the oil ran out on to the road and made its way down the hill. Doing that sort of thing today would probably be a hanging offence. It took much wiping of plugs and mopping up in general and a lot of time before the car finally burst into life again. Tim decided that he would take command of the vehicle and drop both myself and girlfriend off. We thanked BJN, whom, I have to say, was thoroughly decent about the whole escapade. He remained good humoured throughout and never mentioned the matter again. Just in case there is a hereafter and BJN is looking down upon us, we both thought him to be a thoroughly good chap.

I remained in BJN's employ and at Old Park Farm until shortly after his death, I recall him, not only, as a very decent employer but a very likeable, if somewhat eccentric, gentleman and remember him with fondness.

Thursday, 8 August 2013

Police are warning Hampshire residents to be alert following more reports of rogue traders across the region.

Rogue traders specifically target those who they consider to be vulnerable within our communities. They will often offer to carry out repairs, vastly overcharging for unnecessary, shoddy or even non-existent work. And, of course, there are no guarantees, assuming you can find these people again.

Don't open the door to anyone before you've checked who it is - look out of the window or use a spy hole in your door. Don’t be afraid to ignore the doorbell if you wish – there’s no law that says you have to open the door!

If you open the door, keep the chain on while you find out who is calling and what they want. If you're not expecting someone and you don't know them, don't let them into your home, no matter what they say to you. If a caller is genuine they will understand your concerns.

If someone claims to be from a company, such as a gas or electricity provider, always double check their identity. If you have any concerns about someone who has called at your door, call police immediately. If you have a chance, try to note what they look like and any vehicle they have with them, so police can investigate.

If you think you do need to have work done to your home, ask for quotes from two or three reputable companies. Ask your friends, neighbours or relatives who may be able to recommend companies or trades people.

It may seem convenient if someone on your doorstep offers to repair your guttering, or trim a hedge or tree for you, but please don’t be afraid to say no. Remember, never pay upfront to cold callers as it is likely you will not see them or your money again.

Please be vigilant if you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours and report your concerns to the police. You may have been wise enough to turn away the unsolicited caller, but your neighbours may be grateful that you reported the incident to save them from becoming a victim.

We can all do our bit to make Hampshire an even better place to be so if
you have information about ANY crime, please do not hesitate to give
Crimestoppers a call. 0800 555 111 or log on to www.crimestoppers-uk.org
to give information online anonymously. The online reporting form has
been updated and is easier to use than ever before. For those of you
Twittered up, please follow me on @HantsCrimestopp for regular updates.

Tuesday, 6 August 2013

I have been ringing the bells in St Nicholas, Chawton since the mid 1990s and although we currently

have a very capable band we are always on the lookout for new recruits - perhaps that's you.

Are you aged between 10 and 100?

Are you male or female?

Are you a church-goer or not?

Are you of any religious persuasion or none?

If you can answer "yes" to all those questions then you too can become a practitioner of one of England's oldest traditions: full circle change ringing.

Scared? Don't be, you won't catch any fatal diseases, the only one of your answers above that will be changed is the first one, every year.

We hold a regular practice session every Monday evening from 7:30 to 9pm. The pub in Kingsley is closed on Mondays but the pub in Chawton is open. Why not come along? No commitment, no pressure, nothing difficult. Have a go or just watch.

Tuesday, 23 July 2013

Kingsley fete was, I suppose, the highlight of the summer calendar and was held each year in the grounds of the Cricketers. In those days the area behind the large barn was all grass and, therefore, from the rear of the barn all the way down to the fence in front of Ockham Hall was a large paddock. Today the area of which I speak behind the barn is a car park. It was in the whole of this area that the festivities associated with the fete took place.

Along the fence by the Hall was erected a large marquee and in this various competitions would take place. There were jam and wine making competitions together with flower and vegetables. Handicrafts were also represented. For the children the most popular competition was a garden on a plate this was usually very well supported and most of us submitted an entry. Drawing / painting was also available for children to compete in. In addition to the competition displays there were a number of stalls selling various items. The ever popular cake stall and the white elephant stall would both be well patronised. I remember one year someone had donated a number of large volumes containing editions of Boys Own Paper bound within the covers. I bought several and they were prized possessions of mine. Containing, as they did, all the sorts of things boys enjoyed and detailed plans of how to make all sorts of interesting models and gadgets.

Outside of the marquee were erected a number of structures which were associated with a range of adult competitive activities. There was the greasy pole. This was a tall pole probably about six inches thick which was, I think, sunk into the ground and held up with ropes. However, it extended upwards to about fourteen, or so, feet and had been well covered with a fairly thick coating of grease. On top of the pole was pinned a five pound note. The idea was that the men would attempt to climb up and secure the note. I have no recollection of anyone having done so. Each contestant paid a small fee in order to enter and attempt the climb. Overalls were provided for those attempting the climb as it was a very messy business. It should be remembered that five pounds was a large amount of money in those days. To put it into some sort of context, when at the age of twenty two, I joined the Prison Service, my weekly pay was ten pounds. This, of course, was much later than my childhood days and the village fetes, so it will therefore, be appreciated that to obtain a fiver in those days would have been a significant prize. As with all of the events, the fees for entry, together with sales revenue, were used to support various village groups and projects.

Back to the structures, the other popular event was sack fighting. These fights were conducted upon a bar which had been suspended between two large cross structures high enough above the ground to ensure the combatants could not touch the ground with their feet. In fact, a space of about three or four feet beneath the feet would be the norm. Two men would then get on to the horizontal pole and sit facing one another and each would be armed with a hessian sack filled with straw. They would then batter each other until one of them lost their balance and fell off the pole. Yet another pole structure involved two high side poles, erected vertically, with a bar across the two. The side poles had nails in each side at the same height and these supported the cross bar and permitted it to be moved up the side poles in steps of, I think, a foot at a time. The object of this event was to toss a stook of straw and, at a later date, a bale of straw, over the bar by using a pitch fork. The "tosser" would continue to throw his straw over the bar until he knocked the bar off. The height would then be measured and, at the end of the day, the person achieving the highest toss would receive a prize. This was quite a strenuous activity and attracted the more macho young men, keen to show off their strength.

The other standard event was bowling for the pig. A set of large wooden skittles, nine of them, would be erected and the throwing distance set. The throwing distance was shorter for the ladies. The thrower or bowler would be provided with three large wooden disks known as cheeses. These were the shape of a smarty but, of course, much bigger and heavier. I reckon they must have been about eight inches across and at their thickest, about three or four inches. They were made of a heavy, dense wood. They were thrown with a sort of sideways action or flipped in order to achieve a rolling spin. Again at the end of the day the person achieving the highest number of knocked down skittles won the pig. The pig was a real one, donated by a local farmer and was on display in a makeshift pen for all to see. If the winner did not want the pig a deal was usually done with the provider and the pig bought back.

As though all of the above were not enough the fetes had sports as well. These took the form of various races. Two legged, egg and spoon and wheel barrow races being the norm and spread across the age groups and sexes. There would also be a tug of war competition and teams of both men and women would compete. The evening would be taken up with music and dancing in the marquee and the Cricketers provided the refreshment.

The fetes over the years were very well supported and provided the village with an opportunity to get together and, no doubt, a welcome rest from the labours of the week. In those days most of the men folk of the village worked upon the many farms and, of course, the hours were much longer and the work much harder than it is today. Not least because most of the work on a farm had to be done by hand. Large heavy sacks filled with all manner of crops had to be lifted from A to B as there was not the complex machinery that the modern farm enjoys.

The Church, the school and the pub were the institutions that regularly joined together in order to put on village events, and these included the village fete. Whilst talking of marquees, there was an occasional marquee which would appear upon the village green below the church and opposite the school. This would turn up, I suppose, every few years and was erected by The Missionary Society. Into this people of the village were invited to go and join in song and prayer and to contribute monies by buying books and various items depicting the work of the Society. Early forms of film would be shown and photos of people from Africa in mud huts and various states of poverty. From the perspective of the village boys these occasional events were met with much enthusiasm. Now I am not going to try and convince the reader that this was as a result of a surge of religious belief or indeed a new found pity for our fellow man. Sadly it was none of this, the reason, I am afraid, was very much more basic. The fact is the Society was fairly liberal with the distribution of biscuits and orange squash and we took full advantage of their largess!

It seems to me that the fete in the Cricketers grounds went on for quite a few years, exactly how many I have no idea now, but eventually the event was relocated into the vicarage grounds just below and opposite the Cricketers. As far as I can recall the various attractions went on in much the same way but the large marquee was replaced with smaller tents. I think the evening dancing was discontinued at the new venue. Why the relocation took place I don’t recall.

Monday, 22 July 2013

Kingsley Parish Council will meet on Thursday, 25th July 2013 in the Kingsley Centre at 7.30pm.

AGENDA

1. Chairman’s Opening Remarks2. Apologies for Absence: Cllr Rigden3. Declarations of Personal/Prejudicial Interest4. Public Question TimePublic QuestionsConsideration of agenda items which will be open to public participation

5. Approval of Minutes of the Meeting held on 27th June 20136. Matters Arising 7. Planning

Applications ongoing:Appeals:30633/021 Grooms Farm, Frith End Road, Frith End, Bordon, GU235 0QRChange of use of building for events associated with existing hotel, agricultural uses and hot air balloon storage with associated works, parking and use of access ….

54616/002 Land West of, Farnham Road, Bordon Change of use of land from agricultural to equestrian (to include riding lessons, keeping and breeding of horses) retention of sand school, mess room and hay barn

20136/044 Land south and east of Service Station, Farnham Road, Bordon, GU35 0QP Change of use of vacant land to hand car was facility

21066/028 Bakers Farm Nursery, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9NJ Change of use of existing nursery buildings and display areas to the use for the sales, display and storage of equine, animal feed and related products

54941 Land South of Main Road, Kingsley, BordonChange of use of land for stationing of a mobile home for residential purposes for a single gypsy pitch with creation of new access off main road, track and associated hard standing, treatment plant and amenity block (FUL)

New application:27396/043 Old Park Farm, Main Road, Kingsley, Bordon, GU35 9LUTo be a hay storage barn. To sustain the current hay business and replace a rented barn which is now not available. Portal framed barn

53984/002 Unit 8 Kingsley Business Park, Main Road, Kingsley, GU35 9LYRemoval of condition one of 53984 to allow permanent change of use to car repairs (B2 USE)

Sunday, 14 July 2013

Hampshire
Roads Policing Unit based at Fratton are currently investigating a
fatal road traffic collision which occurred on Thursday 4th July 2013 at
appox 1710 hours on the main road leading from Oakhanger Village to the
B3004 at Kingsley.

At this time several vehicles were travelling North towards the B3004, including the horse transporter described below;

Large silver horse transporter, painted horses on the rear, maroon zig zags on the side.

Police are very keen to speak with the driver / occupants of this vehicle purely from a potential witness point of view only"

If you recognise this vehicle please contact the Police at the earliest opportunity on 101.

Friday, 12 July 2013

Good morning,
I Hope you get this on time, I made a trip to Manila(Philippines) and had my bag stolen from me with my passport and personal effects therein. The embassy has just issued me a temporary passport but I have to pay for a ticket and settle my hotel bills with the Manager.

I have made contact with my bank but it would take me 3-5 working days to access funds in my account, the bad news is my flight will be leaving very soon but i am having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won't let me leave until i settle the bills, I need your help/LOAN financially and I promise to make the refund once i get back home, you are my last resort and hope, Please let me know if i can count on you and i need you to keep checking your email because it's the only way i can reach you.

Thanks
David Croucher

Well obviously I know David, I wouldn't say I was his best mate but it is at least plausible that he might be stuck and seeking my help so I replied "What do you need exactly? Can I call someone and pay with a credit card? If so who? where?"

I then wandered down to Kingsley Centre and asked if anyone knew whether the Crouchers were away - oh dear, no I wasn't the first to receive such an email. When I got back a further email was waiting

Bob,

I am are so glad to hear from you. it has been a Terrible ordeal!
We need to settle some outstanding hotel bills, book flight and also take a cab to the airport. I have contacted my bank, but the best they can do is to mail a new card which will take 2 to 3 days to get here, but now i feel so relive at the sight of your email, you need to check for a nearby store that operates on Western union to send the money and use my details below to complete the transfer.

1700 is what we need but any amount you are able to send will help. I will refund back the once i arrive back to home tomorrow or Next. let me know as soon as it has been wired.
I will need the MTCN # with my passport to pick up the cash at WU.

Thursday, 4 July 2013

Shoppers warned to be vigilant after distraction thefts at supermarket car parks

People across the county are being urged to be vigilant when out shopping after several distraction thefts have been reported to police.

People are being approached in supermarket car parks by groups or individuals using a variety of distraction techniques. They can pretty much take any form, but the favourites at the moments are people asking for directions – usually using a map, feigning injury or illness, or people asking for change for car parking.

Whilst you’re busy doing your best to help these people, your wallet or handbag can mysteriously go missing. The debit and credit cards taken are often used to withdraw cash very soon afterwards – sometimes even at the cashpoint machines in the supermarket car park!

Hopefully few of us now keep our PIN numbers written down in our wallets (be honest!). However people who have fallen victim to this crime have reported seeing people behaving suspiciously in supermarkets as they have been using self-service tills. It seems the criminals are hanging around to see you input your PIN and then only need to get hold of your card to be on a spending spree with your cash.

If you notice people acting suspiciously inside supermarkets or you are approached by someone in a car park, please report it to the security team in the store and to the police as soon as possible.

When you are out shopping, never leave your bag on the trolley unattended and always ensure your bag is zipped up. When putting your shopping away in the boot of your vehicle always ensure your handbag/wallet is with you.

If you are distracted for even a moment whilst putting your shopping away, keep your handbag with you or lock it in the vehicle before speaking to or helping anyone. Likewise, if you are asked for directions or to look at maps, make sure you have safely stashed your personal items out of harm’s way first.

We can all do our bit to make Hampshire an even better place to be so if you have information about ANY crime, please do not hesitate to give Crimestoppers a call. 0800 555 111 or log on to www.crimestoppers-uk.org to give information online anonymously. The online reporting form has been updated and is easier to use than ever before. For those of you Twittered up, please follow me on @HantsCrimestopp for regular updates.

Wednesday, 3 July 2013

• 210 Riders and 20 Pillions registered for the ride• 160 Bikes actually started the ride• 5 bikes did not finish (1 minor injury, 4 mechanical breakdowns)• 146 bikes completed the ride within 24 hrs and gained IBA accreditation• 9 bikes completed the ride in over 24 hrs• Those who completed travelled an average of 1045 miles